Most of us guys are useless at Christmas shopping. Here's a few tips I've picked up over the years.
Ladies, you might want to share this with the men in your family to avoid getting an undesirable and badly wrapped present this Christmas.
Buying your Christmas presents at a petrol station or dairy on Christmas morning really isn't the done thing - apparently not everyone wants a funnel, box of biscuits or a car care kit. Don't do it.
Get started early, no not on Christmas Eve, yesterday was already too late.
First thing in the morning is the best time to Christmas shop, and I mean first thing, teenagers are still in bed.
It's not the thought that counts, it's how MUCH thought that counts.
Cash is a GREAT present for teenagers - and me.
If you must give gift vouchers make sure they are from a shop the recipient actually shops in and try and avoid those with an expiry date.
Wrapping and cards are important, you and I know it's just paper but for some reason they are important.
Before you start browsing in a shop check that it does gift wrapping and accept the service - wait if necessary. If the shop doesn't do gift wrapping move on to the next. Unless you are an expert present wrapper - Yeah Right!
Even if every present you buy is gift wrapped, buy plenty of wrapping paper and sellotape. You are going to need it because dairy's and petrol stations don't gift wrap and being a bloke you'll probably ignore number 1.
Guys ignore the above at your peril and have a wonderful Christmas.
Do you enjoy travelling but dislike the idea of being a tourist? Help is here.
"Where's the Mona Lisa, we're doubleparked!" was the caption on a New Yorker cartoon several years ago. The image showed a camera-laden couple tearing up the steps of the Louvre. It summed up the empty side of tourism – tick the box, buy the t-shirt, go home.
Most of us see ourselves as not conforming to this ugly, vacuous tourist stereotype, though we've no doubt shuffled along some of the same worn cobbles and snapped away at the Eiffel Tower with the best of them. Do you enjoy travelling, see it as important to get the most out of it and want to avoid the 'tourist trap'? Here are some navigation aids.
Get lingual
Learning even a few words of the language of the country you're visiting will a pay dividends... most obviously in the form of a broad smile or two. Locals love it when you make the effort and will be that much more likely to offer assistance, should you need it. The more contact you can have with locals, the more you'll learn and the more fun you'll have. And besides, learning another tongue is good brain exercise.
Travel with a purpose
A purpose can make a trip 10 times more fulfilling and interesting than it would have been if it were simply a sightseeing excursion. The purpose could be any one of a number of things, perhaps writing travel stories for your local newspaper or conducting genealogical research by looking up long-lost relatives. Projects such as these put you in communication with locals in a way that wouldn't be possible otherwise, and it's people contact that provides a trip's fondest, most memorable moments. Another idea is to build the trip around a specialist tour by your hobby group, e.g. bridge club, cricket team or wine club.
Dress smart
You don't have to wear a sari in Mumbai or a fez in Marrakesh, but nor do you want to dress in a way that screams "Yes, I AM a tourist!" That means not donning that "I ♥ Rome" souvenir t-shirt until you've left the city – no local would be seen dead in one. And avoid the practice adopted by many frightened tourists of wearing your backpack in front, rather than on your back. They do this for fear of being robbed. The backpack-to-front look simply advertises (very strongly) the fact you're not only a tourist, but also a paranoid one. Scammers pick up on signs like that. Leave your pack on your back, and use a money belt.
There's no rush
Tourists rush through lists of sightseeing clichés and remember little; travellers take their time and see what they want to see. Plan ahead, prioritise, don't rush and be flexible. If you're so enjoying that hot soak in Budapest's art nouveau Gellert Baths it means you won't have time to visit the Basilica of St Stephen, so be it.
Venture off the beaten track
They may not come in the form of high gothic architecture or places of great historic moment, but the richest travel experiences often come from following little-known paths. Away from the main tourist routes you tend to find food and culture of greater authenticity, and people with greater willingness to share it.
Most of us guys are useless at Christmas shopping. Here's a few tips I've picked up over the years.